


The Spark Has No Limits

by AzulafanGligo



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Action & Romance, Azula (Avatar)-centric, Drama, F/M, Major Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:35:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26440510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AzulafanGligo/pseuds/AzulafanGligo
Summary: The Spark Has No Limits is a fan fiction story taking place during "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and shortly after the episode The Boiling Rock, Part 2. It features Azula as the main character as she travels with the Royal Procession to the Western Air Temple to fight Team Avatar. The story focuses heavily on her thoughts and feelings after being betrayed by Ty Lee and Mai as well as how she suffers from not feeling loved. She is eventually wounded in battle and helped by a soldier, Lee Goh, whom she later falls in love with.
Relationships: Azula (Avatar)/Original Character
Comments: 1
Kudos: 23





	1. Prologue

It was a very beautiful day in the Fire Nation. The sun shone high on the cloudless sky, which had such a pure light blue color. This wonderful view along with the variety of trees and flowers in the Fire Nation Royal Palace gardens. There were tall trees with dark green leaves which watched over the rainbow of colors made by the flower's petals.

Fire Nation army sergeant Lee Goh and one of his men were patrolling the gardens as they took in the magnificent view. They were part of the Fire Princess's Personal Fighting Force, a sub-unit of the Royal Procession. They went wherever she went and did whatever she ordered them. They were some of the most powerful firebenders in the entire nation, second only to the Fire Lord's own guards.

Lee was proud and happy to be part of this detachment of elite warriors. He came from a relatively well known family as his mother was an administrator of the Fire Nation industry and his father was a respected colonel in the army. His parents' status had helped him get where he was now, but, like all soldiers that served directly under the princess, he was here because he was a powerful firebender. As a child, he had participated in numerous fights and contests, always coming out victorious. This had gotten the attention of the right people and, with some talking by his parents, he had one of the best and most honorable duties in the entire continent.

"Pretty nice day, isn't, sir?" the soldier on patrol with Lee said.

"Indeed. It's the perfect time to be patrolling the royal gardens," the sergeant said.

"Yeah, but I'd still rather be on the front lines, wiping out those treacherous earth- and waterbenders. It's boring to just walk around all day," the soldier continued.

"Hey, we are part of the Fire Princess's personal detachment. Our job is to be where she is. Now she is at the palace, so it's our duty to be here as well. Besides, you have now idea how it is on the first line of combat. We kill many of our enemies, but they take an awful lot of us with them. What you get to see there is horrible!" Lee said, angry at the ignorance of this man who had just recently been recruited to this fighting force.

He never really fought in any true battles, but was here as a result of his family's connections. Lee, at least, had been brought here based on his skill and not only did he fight a few months in the Earth Kingdom, but he also heard his father's stories about the cruelty of war almost everyday.

"Sorry, sir," the man said, his attitude clearly dropping. They kept walking in silence through the trees, passing the garden lake. As they did so, out of the corner of his eye, Lee noticed princess Azula at the lake. She was staring down at the clear water which gave a perfect reflection of her. As he walked by the lake, Lee couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. The bright sun rays bathed her soft-featured face with those stunning eyes.

Suddenly, he realized he had been staring for too long and swore to himself. He quickly glanced away. What was he doing? This sort of disrespectful behavior would get him in a hard-labor prison at best. And at worst... But she hadn't noticed. She seemed lost in thought and, actually, only now did the sergeant observe her expression. His only interactions with the princess were when she gave him and his men orders. When they saw her, she would always be either angry or triumphant, when she succeeded, which happened pretty much all the time. But Lee had never seen her like she was right now: sad. Her face was full of sorrow and her eyes held true unhappiness and perhaps disappointment.

He felt sorry for her and, knowing full well it wasn't his business, began wondering what could bring such a beautiful, intelligent, powerful and confident princess in this state. He was pretty sure it was because of her friends' betrayal: a couple of days ago, her brother, who had also betrayed not just her, but the entire nation, had sneaked into the Boiling Rock with his allies in an attempt to free prisoners of war. The princess had been about to end all of them, when her former friends turned against her. One of them began attacking the prison guards while the other stayed by the princess's side, preparing to strike when she least expected. After that, they both attacked and knocked her down, but were later captured by prison guards.

The princess had been confident that, with her friends by her side, she didn't need Lee and his men. If they had been there, perhaps they could have stopped the escapees, but it wasn't his place to question her orders, especially since that had been a totally unexpected incident. Of course, the young sergeant had heard all this from his friends from the prison guard who helped arrest the two girls that betrayed the Fire Lord's daughter. As the two soldiers passed by the princess they respectfully saluted and she nodded back, not looking toward them. "Guess our shift is over, sir. There are Huan and Juh at the gates, probably ready to replace us," said the inexperienced soldier. "You're right. It's time for lunch," responded Lee. As he gave the princess one last glance, they strode toward the garden gates.


	2. The Pain of Betrayal

_Boom!_ Splinters from the shattered wood training dummy flew in the air and smoke rose from the fire.

"Good job, Aang," Zuko said approvingly. "You're getting better every day."

Aang took a deep breath and launched some air waves to put out the fire.

"Thanks. Though I need more training before I'm ready to face the Fire Lord," said the young Avatar.

The sun was begging to set in the distance, generating a pallet of yellow, orange and pink on the grey evening sky. The light cast shadows on the walls of the Western Air Temple, surrounded by the dark, rough rock of the mountains.

"Well, you've learned the Charging Lion pretty fast," Zuko continued, glancing at the burned training dummy. "Though there's a lot lot more moves I have to teach you before you can face my father."

Katara came to them from the fire where the others were gathered and where dinner was being cooked.

"Dinner's ready," she said joyfully. "How was training today?"

"It was great," Aang replied. "Zuko teched me a new move-the Charging Lion."

"I'm glad to hear your firebending training is going well," Katara said, smiling. She and Aang locked gazes for a moment, just a moment, and Zuko noticed something in the way they looked at each other. But the moment had lasted less than a second and it wasn't his business. He started walking towards the others as they were now going to eat dinner.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

The royal palace's dining room was massive and ornately decorated with expensive paintings and statues, just like every other room. Azula was having dinner with her father at the long, wooden table in the middle of the room, which had golden edges and corners and a variety of carvings. She was sitting at one end of the table and the Fire Lord at the opposite one. She usually enjoyed her meals-delicious and expensive food carefully prepared by the best cooks in the Fire Nation.

Today however, she didn't have any appetite. She just stared into her plate with fresh rice, vegetables and small sushi rolls. Even though animal flesh was very appreciated in the Fire Nation, she didn't necessarily favor it over other food. She liked to eat balanced meals, which gave her strength and everything her body needed. Azula was lost in thought, the images of Mai and Ty Lee's betrayal at the Boiling Rock coming back. Why did she even think about this? Those two were the people closest to her and they sided with the enemy, stabbing her in the back without second thought. End of the story. They clearly moved on and didn't care, why did she? All this wasn't important now. She would sort out her thoughts later. What was important now was to look strong and confident in front of her father. So far he hadn't seemed to notice that she was deep in thought. Not that he ever cared about how she felt. The only thing he cared about, regarding Azula, was for her to be his perfect daughter.

She took a bite of rice and shifted her attention toward Ozai, trying to look neutral. He met her gaze and said,

"We have to discuss our plans, my daughter. Sozin's Comet is approaching and the preparations for the attack on the Earth Kingdom are going smoothly."

Honestly, Azula didn't want to talk about anything now. She just wanted to get over with this so she could be alone.

"The only problem now," he continued,"is the Avatar. And your brother who is teaching him firebending. They must be dealt with before the comet arrives, or they could ruin our conquest."

"I will continue to search for them," the princess said."I will not stop until I find them. And end them. I will take a fleet of airships and the royal sloop and leave tomorrow morning."

"How do you propose to locate them?" asked the Fire Lord.

"I have an idea," she said, smiling. "My brother will lead us to his friends."

Ozai didn't exactly know where Azula was going with this, but he was pleased with her determination and resourcefulness.

"Very well," he said. "I entrust you with this mission. After all, were it not for your so called friends, I know you would have slain Zuko and the others." He insisted on the word 'friends'. He did that on purpose as a reprimand. He blamed her for misplacing her trust. She was angry now. Wasn't it enough that she lost her best friends? Did her father have to _blame_ her for that now? She couldn't, _wouldn't_ stand for this. But she couldn't disrespect her father either.

"I want to take care of the preparations for my departure tomorrow. I have instructions I wish to deliver personally to my men. The sooner I find Zuko and the Avatar the better." She got up to leave. She wasn't hungry anyway. Ozai frowned.

"You haven't even touched your meal. Why are you in such a hurry?" he asked, not compassionately because he cared about his daughter, of course, but suspiciously.

"I'm not hungry. I can only think of taking down the Avatar. We cannot rest until he is dead. He is the only thing standing in our way, father. Along with my treacherous brother."

The Fire Lord smiled, his suspicions gone. He was proud of his daughter who wouldn't take a break until everything was ready for her and her father's invasion plans. Even if she wasn't in her best mood, Azula almost smiled to herself. This man, the great and wise leader of the Fire Nation, was a fool. How easily had she manipulated him by telling him what he wished to hear.

"I am proud of you, Azula. One day you shall become a powerful Fire Lord."

She was actually pleased to hear that. It made her feel a little better. Better than what? The Boiling Rock again...

"Good evening, father," she said and turned toward the door. He nodded in response.

A few clouds were gathered over the afternoon sky. The light blue surrounding the bright sun was so calming, so peaceful. Azula watched for a few moments, forgetting her thoughts. Then, she looked around the Royal Gardens from the shade of the tree she was standing next to. Only peace and quiet with no one nearby. Just what she needed. She looked up at the tree, at its beautiful pink flowers.

The princess came here to sort out her thoughts. She had never had to do that before. She always thought clearly, she always kept everything under control. But she was troubled by the conflict within her. She was angry. She was confused. Even though she was annoyed that Zuko and the others escaped during the fight at the prison, that wasn't why she felt like this. With disgust and contempt, she acknowledged that she was sad because she had lost her best friends. Her only friends actually. That hurt even more to think about. But she didn't get hurt, she didn't let her feelings affect her. She _controlled_ them.

Only now, she couldn't. Azula hated feeling like this and not being able to shut off these nagging thoughts, but she had known Mai and Ty Lee ever since she could walk. They shared so many happy memories. And those two decided to throw all that away for Zuko and some people they didn't even know. This made her feel weak and there was no room for weakness. With difficulty she accepted that her current state wasn't her fault, but her former friends'. She had been close to them. Of course she was affected by their treachery. But she will get over it soon. _Very_ soon. She had to.

Letting her thoughts flow like this, she had a crude and painful realization. The Fire Princess, the smartest, most beautiful and most powerful firebender and the future ruler of the Fire Nation, was alone. She had no one. Her father didn't care about her. Her mother even less so. Her brother and uncle were traitors and her enemies. And now she didn't even have her friends anymore. As much as all of this hurt her, it was important to acknowledge these things, she knew.

 _But I don't need them. I don't need anyone. I have everything and everyone I need: myself. I am heir to the throne of this nation and no 'sour feelings' shall get in my way._ Some training would help clear her mind and remind her how powerful she was just by herself. Azula took a few steps away from the tree and closed her eyes.

She let go of any thoughts and distractions and focused on her chi. She felt it flow through her body and give her power. She began moving slowly, shifting her position and guiding the chi within her. As it gathered in her arms she extended them and the chi continued to flow outside her body through the lighting that came out of her fingers. A brilliant blue flash of lightning struck upward, half a dozen meters high. Azula opened her eyes. She did feel better. The flow of energy through her body was calming. She again settled into position and prepared to repeat the process.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Zuko launched three quick fireballs at Aang. The Avatar jumped high in the air as he sent a sweeping fire kick back at the other. Zuko rolled to one side and slashed towards Aang with a massive flame. He blocked it with a fire wall and launched two long blasts, one from each hand, in return. Zuko did the same and all the fire met in an incredible and blinding light show.

As the blasts met, they both began closing in on the other. When they were only a few metres away and the fire threatened to spread in all directions and fatally injure them, they ceased the attack. Zuko dashed towards Aang with a fire dagger in his right hand. The Avatar kicked at his ankle to throw him off balance, but he stepped back and brought down his dagger to impale him in the chest. Aang blocked his hand at the wrist and then was almost hit by Zuko's flame enhanced punch with the left hand. He jumped back, nearly avoiding the punch.

His firebending teacher kept coming at him, though. The airbender met him with two fast punches as well, but Zuko blocked them and kicked at his stomach. Aang dodged and he punched at Zuko's jaw with one hand and at his ribs with the other. He barely managed to block both in time and continued with a head slam at Aang's forehead.

The airbender crouched down and spun 360 degrees with his leg held out to try tripping the other. The Fire Prince jumped and the Avatar rolled backwards twice. Now there were about two metres between them. Aang launched a fireball at Zuko and he rolled sideways to avoid it, the distance between them growing even more. Aang opened up with another horizontal slash as Zuko crouched and sent a powerful fire wave at him. The airbender spun around, avoiding the attack, just in time to see two big fireballs coming right at him. He ducked, avoiding the first one and met the second with an identical attack.

"Not bad," Zuko said. "The problem is that you fight like an airbender. You try to evade and defend. When you firebend, you must strike ferociously and decisively."

"I know, I know," Aang replied. "It's just... not in my nature. All my life the monks taught me to avoid striking the enemy, to defend myself and redirect their attacks at them."

"This isn't going to work. Not with Azula. And not with my father. You have to change your fighting style. It's the only way you'll ever beat them."

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Azula opened the door to her bedroom and stepped inside. The training had helped clear her mind. Now it was time to get to work. Earlier that day she told her father she knew how to find the Avatar and his cohorts through her brother.

Even before birth, brothers and sisters have a special connection. Their energies are intertwined for life, even if they hate each other and they're enemies. She was at one end of this connection and could use the trail of energy to locate the other end. There was no proof of anyone ever managing to do this or that it worked at all. But the living energy worked in many ways and she had no doubt she could do it.

It will be difficult, but she always liked challenges. Some meditation should help her find Zuko. The princess set down on the luxurious carpet of her bedroom, legs crossed and hands on her knees.

"Where are you, Zuzu?" she asked with sarcasm in her voice before she closed her eyes.

She began concentrating on her chi, but she also pictured Zuko in her mind, focusing on the hatred, contempt, disappointment and superiority over him that she felt. She sank deeper into her feelings, always visualizing his image in her mind. Azula felt herself drift away and forget the reality around her. All she perceived were her emotions: the hatred she felt for that traitor whose actions disgusted her. She also felt and knew she had always been better than him. She thought he was a failure and a disappointment to the Royal Family. She hung on to those feelings, letting her chi shape around them. She stayed like that maybe ten minutes, maybe an hour, she had know idea, but eventually, the image of her brother disappeared from her head and it was replaced by a landscape.

 _Tall, dark grey mountains overlooking dense forests._ This wasn't something she was thinking about, as she only concentrated on Zuko. This was where he had to be. Azula kept her focus and dove deeper into her emotions. _The images began to change and close in on a massive cliff._ _Beneath that cliff Azula got a glimpse of some very old buildings._

 _An air temple_ , she thought in the corner of her mind. _The images shifted again: outside those buildings, some people were sleeping and, among them_... _Zuzu_ , the princess noticed with satisfaction. Then, the images vanished.

Azula waited a couple of seconds before she opened her eyes. She wanted to smile after her victory, but she felt very dizzy as a strong feeling of nausea suddenly came over her. She noticed she was sweaty, a drop of water just trickling from her hair on the carpet. She also felt very tired. Finding Zuko through their spiritual bond had been an extremely demanding effort and it took a toll on her body.

 _It's alright. I just need a little rest and I'll be as good as new._ She slowly stood up and walked carefully toward her bed. She untied her hair, taking off her crown and body armor. She didn't take her pajamas, but instead she lay down on the bed in the kimono she was wearing. She closed her eyes, wishing to doze off for no more than an hour.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_An ornately decorated room. A very familiar room. Azula's bedroom. She was there, sitting on the carpet in the middle of the room, with a mischievous smile on her face._

_"Where are you, Zuzu?" her voice echoed. It was full of sarcasm and menace. Then Azula and her room disappear. They're replaced by an image of the... the Western Air temple._

"Aah!" Zuko suddenly woke up from his nightmare, panting.

"What's the matter?" Sokka asked, yawning. "I'm trying to get some sleep here."

The others woke up as well.

"Yeah, what's the matter?" Toph asked, annoyed.

"You all right, Zuko?" Aang inquired as we got up from his sleeping bag, rubbing his eyes.

"I'm fine. It was just a nightmare. I'm sorry."

Everyone got back to sleep, except Aang.

"Are you sure you're ok? It sounded like a really nasty nightmare." the airbender said.

Zuko turned to face him.

"Listen, Aang," he began, keeping his voice low, "I know how crazy this sounds, but... somehow, I have no idea how, I think Azula has managed to discover our location. I realize it was a dream, but it seemed very real. Too real to be comfortable with it."

"That's very unlikely, but I trust you. I wonder how she could do that. I mean we know we hadn't been tracked here."

"All I know is... it had something to do with me. She managed to find us through me, but I don't know how," Zuko said.

"Hey, if she did find us somehow, it's not your fault."

"Thanks, but I'm sure it had something to do with me. I assume no one here will agree, but we need to get out of here. Now would be the best time, but perhaps we should wait until morning and discuss this with everyone else."

"I don't think we should leave. If she really found us this time she can do it again. The best thing we can do is wait until she comes here, " Aang said.

"Alright, but I still think we should leave this place while we still can."

Both of them got back in their sleeping bags and went to sleep.


	3. Forthcoming Battle

Azula was standing in one of the biggest rooms in the palace, looking through the window at the entire might of Capital City. So many buildings with so many civilians and soldiers milling around. It was a powerful city. The most powerful. One day, she will be the leader of this place and also the leader of the entire Fire Nation. Everyday she thought about that.

She couldn't wait for the throne to be hers. She had felt dizzy and nauseous, not to mention exhausted after her meditation session to find Zuko, but after some good one hour's sleep she felt great.

The princess heard the door open behind her in the opposite end of the 50 metre long room. She turned to see Lin Hei, the commander of her personal Royal Procession detachment and Wui Kau, the captain of the Royal sloop, the replacement for the fool that ruined her plan to capture Zuko and her uncle. Things could have been very different had that stupid peasant not ruined the trap she had sprung for the two. But focusing on what could have happened distracted her from what is and will happen. Besides, that man got what he deserved.

The two officers bowed before her. Hei was a man in his late forties with graying hair, short beard and the eyes of a war veteran. Kau was a little younger. He had black hair tied in a long braid and scars all over his face. He was a confident man, but, knowing what happened to his predecessor, he feared the Fire Princess even more than that idiot.

"You sent for us, princess?" asked Hei.

"Obviously," Azula answered dryly. "We are going after the Avatar and my brother. I know they are hiding in an air temple. Since it is built beneath a mountain cliff, it is the Western Air Temple. I have also read reports that on the same island as the temple there are earthbender soldiers who have rebelled against us after I've conquered their kingdom. They attack Fire Nation troops wherever they find them. In our mission we will definitely encounter them. I want you to prepare two airships along with the Royal sloop, the Procession and some tundra tanks. We will leave tomorrow at first light. Dismissed."

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Lee was marching along with the other soldiers of the Royal Procession toward the Royal barge docked at a military port near the royal palace. The Fire Princess's personal fighting force was composed of seventy-two Imperial Firebenders organised into two platoons.

Now, a squad of Dai Li agents was the first line of men in the group going to the ship. By putting them in front of the others, the princess showed that she trusted them more than her soldiers in the Fire Nation. Lee didn't like this, but the Fire Lord's daughter did whatever she wanted with her troops. Besides, even though he hated admitting it, the Dai Li hadn't failed her in Ba Sing Se. He and his man had when the former prince, Zuko, and general Iroh had escaped them in the Earth Kingdom port.

But now they had the chance to regain her trust and respect. Behind the Dai Lee, commander Lin Hei marched in front of the firebenders with his two lieutenants at his back. Then came Lee with the other seven sergeants next to him. They were followed by a row of corporals and then the rest of the soldiers. After all of them, came four tundra tanks. At his far right, Lee noticed princess Azula staying on one of the port's observation balconies, overlooking the path toward the Royal barge. The sergeant would do his best in their mission, just like all the others. They deserved to be part of the Royal Procession and they'll show it. They'll prove to the princess that they were at least as good, if not better than those Dai Li flunkies.

Azula watched from a balcony as her troops were embarking on the Royal barge and the tanks were being driven to the two carrier boats flanking it. Farther away from the port was a takeoff area for air ships. Two of them were now being tested to make sure they're operational for her mission. Seeing all this made her remember about Mai and Ty Lee. They had been far more skilled than the Imperial Firebenders and about as good as the Dai Li. And they had been her friends. She hated thinking of this and feeling sad. Feeling regret.

 _But why? They betrayed me, not the other way. Or maybe..._ No. How could she possibly think it had been her fault. She thought she was over this, but apparently she needed more time. _Why ain't I strong enough? I'm one of the best firebenders to ever live. I'm the Fire Lord's daughter, the Crown Princess, conqueror of the great city of Ba Sing Se and yet I can't get over my friends' treachery._

This made her even angrier, but she decided it was just shocking to be stabbed in the back by the people you trust most and that she was strong and would get over it. _After all, I have known them for the most part of my life and, for once, I was taken completely by surprise. But it doesn't matter. I have to concentrate on the task at hand. You have nowhere to hide, Zuzu. Neither does the Avatar._ Things seemed ready for her departure. She'll tell a servant to announce her dad that she's on her way and then the hunt for her enemies will begin once again.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

It was evening. The orange disc of the sun was set behind a curtain of white and grey clouds. Toph was rapidly throwing boulders at Aang. The airbender dodged quickly and created jutting rocks that closed in on his earthbending teacher. She jumped high and, as she landed, she tore and lifted the piece of ground where Aang was standing. He rolled away and sent a shower of rocks toward her. She stopped the rocks midway between them and launched them back at him. Aang made a tall pillar beneath his feet which took him about five metres above the ground and moved it toward Toph.

She rose herself on a pillar as well and went to meet him. She made rock knuckles around her fists and as the earth pillars met, she punched Aang. He barely managed to create a shield to block the first strike. Toph's second blow broke his defense and threw him off balance. He was about to fall, but he regained his balance and destroyed Toph's pillar. She somersaulted in mid-air before she landed. Aang came at her from above, now with his own rock knuckles. She made a rock wall between them and Aang had been close to hitting it head-first, but he quickly put his hands in front of him and pushed. His earlier momentum sent him a few metres back. Now Toph broke the wall into rocks and sent them toward Aang. He created a shield around him and, as the rocks fell to the ground, he abandoned his cover to attack Toph again.

Toph could feel Aang running toward her from the regular and rapid vibrations in the ground. She was about to incase his legs in rock and immobilize him when she realized his wasn't the only movement she felt. She sensed someone above them, on the cliff beneath which the temple was built. Irregular and slow footsteps, like how a wounded person would walk?

"Hold on, Twinkle Toes!" she called to him. "There's someone above us." Aang stopped and disintegrated his rock knuckles.

"Fire Nation?" he asked, frowning.

"Doesn't seem like it. There are about four people there and they seem wounded."

"Let's go get Appa and the others then," he said as they hurried toward the closest building of the temple, where the rest of Team Avatar was.

Appa took Aang, Katara, Zuko, Toph, Suki and Sokka to the edge of the cliff above the temple.

"Over there!" Sokka said, pointing toward four figures walking with difficulty on the light green grass of the mountain. Those people immediately acknowledged Appa's presence in the sky as they turned to look at the flying bison.

"They're wearing green uniforms," Katara said.

"They must be Earth Kingdom soldiers," Sokka replied.

"Take us down there, buddy." Aang told Appa. The bison moved his body downward and flew toward the four people. As they landed, Aang noticed those men were indeed Earth Kingdom soldiers. And they were wounded.

One of them had a large bandage around his waist and broken right hand. Another had his upper left leg and lower right one bandaged as well as almost his entire right arm. The third one had his left eye and most of his head covered in bandages along with his right thigh. The last one had a broken right leg and severe burn on his right cheek.

"The Avatar," the one with the broken hand said, inclining his head in greeting, "we are honored to meet you. I am corporal Yuro and these are the only survivors of my squad. We are part of the Earth Kingdom Rebellion."

"I'm terribly sorry about what happened to your nation. I know I failed you and your people, but I'm going to make this right."

"We believe in you," Yuro said. "We know you'll save us when the time is right." He turned toward Zuko.

"I see you managed to capture the Fire Nation prince. That's great."

Aang and the others frowned in confusion. The Avatar opened his mouth to speak, but the corporal kept on.

"We can use him as leverage for the Fire Lord to end the war. Our troubles are finally over. But why isn't he chained up? He is too dangerous to be allowed to walk freely."

Out of the corner of his eye, Aang tried to see how Zuko took that in. What the corporal said could have hurt him and not because the soldiers thought he was the enemy, but because they indirectly said that his father loved and cared about him. However, Zuko's expression was just a little surprised like everyone else's, with no hint of sadness. Aang didn't feel him being sad either.

It made him happy to see that Zuko had accepted his relationship with his father and that Team Avatar was his new family now.

"Uh..., he's actually on our side. He faced the Fire Lord telling him he disagreed with the actions of the Fire Nation and fought him. He's part of our team and he's teaching me firebending," Aang explained.

"Part of your team, huh?" the corporal said, eyeing the Fire Prince suspiciously. "He can't be trusted! He's a ruthless killer like all of them!"

"No, he's not!" the Avatar protested. "He's our friend and he's risked his life for us more than once."

"It's alright, Aang," Zuko cut in. "You don't need to give explanations to anyone and I don't have to prove anything. I've changed. I realized the errors of my ways. Believe that or not. It's up to you."

"Fine," Yuro said angrily. "I don't have much of a choice. My men and I ask for your help. We need medical attention and temporary shelter."

"That's alright. We'd be glad to help you," Aang said.

"What happened to you? How did you get wounded so badly?" Sokka asked.

"We attacked and captured a Fire Nation base on the shore of the peninsula far north-west from here. It's at the base of the mountains near the eastern shore. That's how we got hurt. It was a costly battle and the worst thing is that we are sure they managed to send word back to the Fire Lord."

"Azula's coming for us and that base is pretty close to her path here," Aang began.

And if she runs into those earthbenders, she's gonna kill them all," Zuko continued. "We have to help them."

"Agreed," Sokka said.

"I should help heal you first," Katara said to the earthbenders. "I can use my waterbending to tend to your wounds."

"There's no time. You have to help the troops at the Fire Nation base. They're very skilled and determined warriors, but there are only about fifty of them and they won't last long against the princess and her firebenders without your help."

"Very well," Katara agreed, not happy at all to leave these wounded men without proper medical care. "Haru and the others will be able to help you a little with what supplies we have. We can take you down to the temple in a couple of minutes."

"Thank you. We are grateful for your help," Yuro said.

Team Avatar left the Earth Kingdom soldiers at the temple and Appa started flying toward the captured base.

"It's late evening," Zuko said. "We won't get there before morning."

"I just hope Azula doesn't get there first," Aang replied.

"She probably will. There's no way to know when she left the Fire Nation, but most likely early in the morning."

There was a hint of sadness on the airbender's face after hearing those words. Katara put a comforting hand on his shoulder and smiled at him.

"Don't worry Aang. We'll be there in time to fight Azula. The earthbenders will be fine."

"Thanks," he said, smiling back. "Yeah, we will be there in time."

"And we're gonna make those firebenders run back to the Fire Lord crying," Toph said cheerfully. They all chuckled at her joke.


	4. The Traitor

Azula was standing in the meeting room of the Royal barge along with Hei, Kau and the Head of the Dai Li. They were gathered around a table with a map of the Earth Kingdom and the islands north of the Fire Nation.

"They're hiding here," Azula said, putting her finger on the island where the Western Air Temple was located.

"The island relief is a broad mountain range with very narrow shores. The best place to bring in the barge is here," she moved her finger a centimeter to the right, indicating the largest piece of shore without mountains where a ship could dock.

"However," she continued, "our base in the mountains on the eastern shore of this peninsula has been captured by Earth Kingdom rebels."

She again moved her finger to show them the peninsula north-west of the air temple.

"They control this shore and our course to the temple we'll take us right next to them where they can attack us. We will stop there and recapture the base."

"We have precise maps of the terrain in the area of the base," said Hei, putting another map on the table.

"I recommend we begin with an aerial bombardment of the base and the enemy positions. Then, if we come through here with our tanks leading the attack, we'll finish them off quickly."

"You forget they have their own tanks," the princess said.

"Our tanks won't stand a chance against earthbending-powered ones. That's where the Dai Li come into play. They will lead the attack and take care of the enemy tanks, followed by ours which will burn down their infantry. Your soldiers will be in the third line." The man hid his displeasure with the Dai Li very well. But Azula could see it in his eyes and his features who were tensed just in the slightest, almost invisibly. Nothing escaped her. She trusted the Dai Li as opposed to the Imperial Firebenders who had failed to capture Zuko and her uncle. The Dai Li had served her well in Ba Sing Se and proved to be more capable than Hei and his men. And, of course, that's why the members of the Royal Procession hated the secret police agents. But she didn't care what her peasants thought.

They're job was to serve her and Lin Hei knew that if he said anything about the Dai Li, it'd mean questioning her judgement and decisions and would subsequently lead to his death. The princess turned toward the Head of the Dai Li, who held the rank of major within the former secret police of Ba Sing Se.

"Make sure your men know the plan and are prepared for tomorrow's fight," Azula said.

"Yes, princess," the major said. "I will instruct them immediately." He turned to the door and left.

"Now," she continued, "the best way to organize the firebenders would be…" As she kept on talking, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a subtle change in one of the two door guards' stance. A pair of firebenders were assigned to keep watch in the meeting room and stand at the door. And one of them was starting to move slowly. It was a barely perceptible movement but, like with the hints of emotion in people's features, Azula was always able to notice every small detail in everything around her. The firebender was lifting his hands, barely a centimeter every few seconds, and seemed to be trying to take a step forward, again without anyone noticing.

 _An assassin?_ the princess thought, stopping herself from raising her eyebrows in cynicism. She continued talking to the two officers, pretending not to notice what the guard was doing. _That's interesting. It's been quite a long time since anyone has made an attempt on my life or my father's. Whoever tries such a thing on the Fire Nation Royal Family is a bold idiot._ It had never worked and after they were caught, the assassins would be subjected to unbearable torture imaginable.

 _A fitting punishment_ , she thought, smiling to herself. _I wonder how he got through the ranks of the Royal Procession. It doesn't matter. I'll find out soon enough. Perhaps it's time to remind my loyal soldiers why they fear me so much._

The guard brought his hands about and as he stepped forward, he suddenly shot two fireballs: one at the guard next to him and one at Azula. The other guard was fatally hit in the chest.

" _Owww!_ " he screamed in pain. He hit the wall behind him and collapsed to the floor, dead. Hei and Kau stared at the dead guard's corpse in utter shock. _Of course those two idiots never expect anything_ , Azula observed, disgusted at their ineptitude. She quickly took a fighting stance and blocked the fireball with one hand as the two officers immediately aimed their hands at the attacker, ready to shoot bursts of fire at him.

"Leave him to me," the princess said confidently.

The assassin darted toward her as he shot two more blasts of fire. She effortlessly absorbed the fire with her palms and sprinted toward the man over the length of the room. He tried attacking again, but Azula was too quick for him. As she reached him, he aimed a flame enhanced punch at her jaw. The princess grabbed his wrist and twisted it.

Then, she punched him too, in the solar plexus, surrounding her fist with fire to burn through his armor. The assassin couldn't even growl in pain as he staggered, desperately gasping for air. By the time he hit the floor, he had already painfully fallen unconscious. She hadn't hit him hard enough to kill him; Azula intended to use him as an example to the other soldiers so they would knew what happened to such lowly attackers. If one was stupid enough to face her, they should at least do it fairly, in an announced fight.

The princess heard a loud _bonk_ as the door was slammed open and the Head of the Dai Li stormed in with a couple of agents.

"Princess, are you alright?" he asked, his face full of worry.

"Not thanks to you," she replied acidly.

"I apologize, princess. We heard noises and wanted to come see what was happening, but an apparent conspirator of your attacker stalled us. We took care of him… permanently," the major said.

"Was there anyone else?" Azula asked.

"No. Just one Imperial Firebender. Or someone disguised as one."

He looked down at the floor, seeing the dead guard and the unconscious assassin. Azula also looked at the assassin, completely disgusted by his unbelievable insolence.

"Take this scum out of my sight," she said. "And dispose of the corpse as well."

"Yes, princess," the Head of the Dai Li said, inclining his head in respect.

The princess turned toward Hei and Kau.

"Hei, gather all members of the Royal Procession at the ship's bow. It seems I have to address my "loyal" and "trustworthy" soldiers."

She put a noticeable edge of mockery in those words to let the peasants know how displeased she was with the security within the ranks of the Royal Procession and with their ineptitude to insure her security. Not that she needed security, but it was supposed to keep things like this from happening and wasting her time.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Sergeant Goh was eating his lunch at a table in the cantina aboard the Royal Barge. He was sitting opposite his best friend, and pretty much his only friend, Huan Rao, who was also a sergeant.

"It's been a while since we've seen any action, hasn't it?" asked Huan as he was chewing a mouthful of rice.

"Yeah," Lee said. "To be honest, I kinda prefer just walking around the Royal Palace all day, subjected to boredom and security patrols, but I'm happy the princess is taking us on a mission with her again." He paused and lowered his tone, making sure only Huan could hear him.

"Even if it's only because she no longer has her friends," he whispered.

"I've heard about that, too," Huan replied, whispering as well.

They both respected the princess and dedicated their lives to serving her, but if people overheard them talking about the events at Boiling Rock, especially some Dai Li agents, it wouldn't end well. No one was supposed to speak about how those two traitors who had called themselves the Fire Lord's daughter's friends and betrayed and attacked her.

"Must be horrible," Huan continued. "Being stabbed in the back by the people you trust most. I wouldn't know."

A hint of sadness appeared on his face. Lee knew that his friend had had many family problems in his childhood and left home as a teenager, enrolling in the army just to escape that nightmare and never have to come back. He had no one and so he indeed didn't know how it would feel to be betrayed since there was no one in his life he could count on anyway.

Lee, on the other hand, had a normal family life and got along relatively well with his parents, even if, being a soldier, he wouldn't see them too often. However, he understood how his friend felt and was truly sorry for him.

He was a little thirsty and glanced at his empty water cup he'd drank from earlier.

"I'll go get some more water," he told Huan as he got up from the table. "You need anything?"

"No, I'm fine, thanks."

As he strolled toward the barrels filled with water, next to the food serving area, a Dai Li agent passed him by. He intentionally shoved Lee aside, hard. The sergeant turned to look at the Dai Li agent, frowning. He saw himself as a nice person who tried avoiding conflicts outside of his job as a soldier. But when someone challenged him like this, he couldn't help but be furious and lose control. He grabbed the agent's left shoulder.

"You blind or something? Watch where you're going!" he said loudly.

All the other soldiers in the cantina, both Imperial Firebenders and Dai Li agents alike, turned to look at the two. The Dai Li agent slightly turned his head to the left to look at Lee out of the corner of his eye.

"Careful. You don't want to upset me, boy."

He spun around and thrust Lee's hand aside. The sergeant clenched his fists, ready to jump at the agent, but Huan came next to them at the last moment.

"Come on, Lee. Leave him. You know what happens to trouble makers aboard the princess's ship," he said.

The Dai Li agent looked Lee in the eye with dominance and a challenging smile. Everyone was now staring intently at them. The Dai Li thought they were so much better than the Royal Procession, because the firebenders had failed the princess once and they had served her well in Ba Sing Se. But so could have commander Hei and his men if given the chance.

However, Lee was well aware of what the princess would order to be done to both of them if they started a fight and so did that idiot. He didn't have the guts to attack Lee, but still, he wanted to show he was superior and wouldn't cower away from a fight.

"You're not worth my time," he told the Dai Li agent, his voice full of disgust and hatred. Huan and him turned and walked away and so did that arrogant flunky, still grinning as he snarled, also in disgust.

"Thanks," Lee said. "Although it was embarrassing walking away like that, I prefer shame to being executed by the princess for disrupting the order on the ship."

"Yeah, no problem," Huan said. As they got a few more steps closer to the water barrel, the door of the cantina suddenly opened and lieutenant Yuoh walked inside.

"Attention!" he yelled, making sure everyone was looking at him. "The princess wants all firebenders to report on the main deck at the bow. Now."

Lee stared at the man in surprise. What could she want with us now? We're still a day away from the captured base. He looked at Huan who shrugged.

As all the Royal Procession soldiers got up from the tables and left, Lee heard a Dai Li agent saying, satisfied, "Looks like those guys are in trouble."

_______________________________________________________________________________________

  
It was noon and the sky was beginning to get closer to the horizon. There were a few small clouds scattered overhead and, as he was standing at attention in front of the princess, along with dozens of other men, Lee could hear the waves crashing against the ship. It was actually a pleasant and calming sound.

The Fire Lord's daughter was standing on an elevated section of the deck, hands clasped behind her back and looking at the Imperial Firebenders in a way that sent shivers up Lee's spine. It was really interesting how she, being 14 years old, instilled fear in him who was 20 years old and even in others much older. Looking at her though, he couldn't take his eyes off her. She was stunning, even when she had that menacing look: her face, her eyes, her lips, everything about her was perfect.

 _She's so beautiful…_ He suddenly frowned behind his helmet. _What are you doing? Get a hold of yourself. You can't think about the Crown Princess like that. What was wrong with him? Could he actually be… falling in love with her? No! It's impossible! I couldn't… Never! Or… could I? Stop it! Stop thinking about her in that way!_

He barely stopped himself from shaking his head. Any move while he and the others were standing at attention, awaiting for her to speak, would get him killed instantly. She took a few steps forward.

"You're wondering why I ordered you here," she addressed the firebenders. "Well, your purpose is to serve me, isn't it?"

"Yes, princess!" all of them, including Lee, yelled at unison.

"I have given you many reasons to fear and respect me and you've sworn your loyalty to my father and I. Your job is to obey me and I've made that very clear. However, it appears that you're starting to forget this. To forget why your allegiance is to me."

Lee didn't like where this was going. Somebody was going to die now. He just hoped it wouldn't be him. The princess waved her hand and, from behind her, came two Dai Li agents dragging someone. A man in Imperial Firebender armor apparently, minus the helmet. _It's Pao._ Lee observed, astonished.

 _What could he have done to upset the princess? He is one of the most loyal soldiers I've ever met._ The agents stopped a meter behind princess Azula.

"This man," she began, gesturing toward Pau, "is a filthy traitor to us and our nation. He dared try to assassinate me. All of you know full how much I despise such lowly acts. And how I punish them. Apparently, your fellow soldier here hasn't infiltrated your ranks. That's good for you, otherwise all of you would have been sanctioned as well, for failing to do your duty. Not that you haven't failed to prevent his cowardly attack anyway," she said acidly, looking with hatred at all the soldiers. The young sergeant thought her glance was even more terrifying now. More chills running up his spine. "This man is an actual firebender and Fire Nation citizen. He didn't disguise himself as a guard. After thorough interrogation," she glanced at the Dai Li agents.

Lee didn't want to know what those monsters had done to the man while questioning him. Even if he was a traitor, no one deserved to be handed over to the Dai Li in the sergeant's opinion.

"...he revealed that he enrolled in the army with the sole purpose to kill me or my father, which one of us he had a chance to, first. He has been taught by his parents," she emphasized the word 'parents' with an edge of mockery in her voice, "that me and my family are tyrants who only seek to oppress the other nations and take control of the world." She turned to face Pao.

"How dare you insult me and my relatives like this?" Lee could see how angry she was. Even if he himself despised traitors, he had to admit he felt sorry for this man. He was dead. And it wouldn't be an easy death.

"We wish to share our greatness with others! We want to guide the world to prosperity and happiness, but, as the other nations returned our offer of help with hostility, the war is the only way." She looked back at the soldiers.

"Now," the Fire Lord's daughter continued, "I will remind you of your place as my peasants and why you fear me." As she was talking, she turned and got behind Pao. The young sergeant could see tears in his eyes as he too knew the princess was going to kill him then and there.

"Please, princess. I… I was a fool to try such an unspeakable thing. Please… don't kill me! I have a family. I'll do anything! Please!" Tears were now prickling on Pao's face and his eyes were filled with terror as his voice was breaking.

"You should have thought about your family before trying to assassinate the Fire Lord's daughter," she told him, her voice not full of hatred or menace, but calmness and carelessness to the former soldier's plea.

It was something horrible to watch: a man who lost all hope, who had been broken completely, losing everything and having to leave through his last seconds knowing how much his wife and children would suffer to learn about his death. And he wouldn't be payed any respects. The army would yell his name on the streets, surrounding it with insults and cruel mockery, letting the citizens and his family know he was a disgrace to his nation. As a soldier, Lee was a pretty tough guy, but he never really lost his soft side. He wasn't glad about it, but it made him who he was.

As such, he was full of pity for Pao and the idea of his subsequent execution really saddened him and left him with a sore taste in his mouth.

The young sergeant kept watching like the others as the princess slowly moved her hands. Her expression was cold and emotionless. She would do this as easily as drinking water or eating. Sparks of lightning were coming out of her fingers… Pao closed his eyes, defeat and resignation covering his face. With one swift move, princess Azula sent a quick flash of lightning right through his heart.

" _Aaahhh!_ " he growled in pain as he fell dead on the deck.

She glanced at the body, her expression neutral.

The smell of burnt flesh started coming from the corpse. Even though Lee was used to it, it was still unbearable. Had he not felt this disgusting odor before, he'd probably feel sick.

"Throw the trash overboard," the princess told the Dai Li agents. They casually grabbed Pao's body and thrust it in the water.

"I hope I've made myself clear that any act of betrayal or disloyalty will be fittingly punished," she said to the firebenders. "You're dismissed."


	5. Nightmares

_It was a warm, sunny summer day. Perfect to relax a little in the royal gardens._

" _Someone has a crush on Mai, don't they?_ " Azula asked Zuko, smiling sarcastically.

" _It's not your business! Leave me alone!_ " Zuko said angrily.

" _Oh, come on, Zuzu. Admit it,_ " _she continued, suppressing a chuckle. He didn't say anything. Instead he shot her a furious glare._

_Azula heard footsteps behind her._

" _Azula! Leave your brother alone!" their mother said from a few meters away._ " _Why do you have to tease him like this all the time?_ "

_She felt a wave of anger rush through her. Of course mom always came to defend her favorite. Every time. Azula turned in her mother's direction, but didn't even look at her. She ran right past her to her room where she could be alone and didn't have to talk to either of them._

Azula, asleep, rolled uncomfortably in her bed aboard the Royal barge at the unpleasant dream of that childhood memory. _Always mother's favorite._ The words sounded again in her head. Suddenly, the images in her dream began changing: the royal gardens were replaced by an exquisitely and expensively decorated office. Her father's office. He was sitting at his large desk, sifting through military reports and political documents. Her mother was there too.

_Azula was standing by the window, watching and listening to them while keeping a low profile so they wouldn't see her._

" _I don't understand what's the matter with her. Why does she keep acting like this with her brother?_ " _Ursa asked. Ozai sighed in annoyance._

" _I don't have time for this. Why do you keep defending that boy anyway? Azula's right to behave like this. She's making him strong, turning him into the man he should be. Besides, she is better than him at everything._ " _Seeing her father defend her brought a smile to Azula's face. She was happy that he cared about her and loved her._

" _Why care so much about that poor excuse of a firebender?_ " _he continued. Still unseen by her parents, Azula's smile turned into a frown at a hurting realization:_ " _She is better than him at everything_ " _was all her father had said. She had expected to hear something like_ " _I love her_ " or " _You don't appreciate her like you should_ ". _But no. That had been all the man had said. It really… hurt her._

" _What?_ " _she whispered in disbelief._ " _But… No, no. He loves me. Of course he does._ "

" _Father loves me. Father loves me,_ " the princess whispered in her sleep as she relieved those events in her dream, continuously shifting her sleeping position and rolling furiously from one side to the other and shaking.

 _"_ I'm great at everything. Of course he loves me! _"_ As much as she tried, she just couldn't make herself believe that. She felt horrible. She hated this sensation. Azula stepped away from the window and sat down on the grass, wrapping her hands around her legs and resting her chin on her knees. Not even caring about her parents' conversation anymore, she still heard her mother's reply.

" _You're unbelievable! How can you talk like this about your son? This is exactly why I'm defending him. I love him and Azula equally, but you treat him miserably._ " _Azula heard footsteps as her mother turned to the door and left the office._

" _I don't have time for nonsense like this,_ " _Ozai said and most likely continued looking through the papers._

" _I'm not alone,_ " _Azula continued whispering._ " _I have Mai and Ty Lee. They're my friends and they care about me._ " _She stood up and got a grip of herself. She was going to go spend some time with them. They were there for her when she needed them and she knew they could comfort her. She walked away and went to find her friends._

_________________________________________________________________________________________

 _Zuko and his mother were standing by the pond in the Royal Palace gardens. He was still angry that Azula had teased him about liking Mai._ What's her business anyway? If I like Mai, I like her and that's that. Azula shouldn't laugh at me and keep nagging me with her jokes.

_His mother noticed he was sad. She always did. She acknowledged every change in his and Azula's moods and always cared how they felt. Not like their father._

" _Are you still upset because of Azula?_ " _she asked with her gentle and passionate voice._

" _A little," Zuko admitted._ " _And it's not just this. She always teases me or laughs at me or something. Why does she have to do that, mom?_ "

" _Well, it's not nice of me to say this, but your father is a bad influence on her. She takes his example of acting like everyone is her enemy and that she only needs herself. She feels the urge to be the best, to be perfect, but no one's perfect and between you two there's no "best". You're both amazing and gifted children and she must realize she's not alone with her father. I love her and care about her and I know you do the same. That's part of why you're so sad that she behaves like this._ "

" _Of course I love her. She's my sister. And the only thing she does is being mean to me all the time. Do you think she'll ever change? Can she change?_ " _he asked frustrated._

" _If we keep giving her love and showing her we're here for her, she will eventually. It's too bad I don't seem to be getting through to her. I know it doesn't seem like it, but she's suffering, even if she knows how to hide it. But that suffering will come out and tear her apart in the years to come if she doesn't learn to accept her feelings and be open about them with us, or at least with her friends._ "

_Zuko noticed that all these things about Azula hurt their mother. But that didn't change the way his sister behaved. It was horrible and he couldn't stand it._

" _Zuko, listen,_ " _his mother told him with the same gentle voice as earlier, but now with a clear accent of sadness,_ " _in this life you two only have each other. I know you're too young to understand this, but in Azula's darkest moments, years from now, maybe even when me and your father are gone, you will be the only one able to help her. You'll have to be there for her and just love her. Show her you care._ " _His expression became confused. Azula didn't seem to be suffering at all. She actually seemed very happy. And she definitely hated him._

" _It doesn't seem like she needs anyone to me,_ " _he said._

_She smiled at him and caressed him on the top of his head. Maybe his mother was right. Maybe he'll understand this when he'll be older._

" _I know. But you don't have to worry about any of this yet. Just try to keep in mind that deep down she feels sad and alone and that her actions are only the reflection of these emotions._ "

Zuko opened his eyes to see the dark night sky covered by large, grey clouds and small, shiny stars. A memory from his childhood. He remembered when his mother told him all those things about Azula. At the time he had been a kid, too young to understand, but know he did. It was an interesting irony: a brother and a sister who were enemies and had fought in deadly combat against each other more than once, were actually very much alike.

Not regarding their personalities of course. He wasn't like her and he'll never be, but their struggles, suffering and pain had been more or less caused by the same thing: not feeling loved. He hadn't been loved by his father. The man had treated him miserably all his life, but his mother and uncle were there for him and loved him. Azula on the other hand, had been Ozai's favorite and she felt their mother hadn't loved her.

That hadn't been true, of course. Even after all the things she had done as a kid, mother loved her. But she hadn't been able to see it. She thought he had been Ursa's favorite and that was one of the reasons their relationship turned out the way it did. But maybe there was still a chance for Azula to change. He did love and care about her, even if she hated him and considered him her enemy.

Of course, change would be hard and a very long way from now. They'd have to go through more fighting and hatred on her side before they'd be a family again. But he wouldn't give up on her. He'll be there for her when she'll accept the reality that she is fighting for the wrong cause. And waiting for the love of the wrong person, their father, who, regardless of how much she was trying to be perfect, will never love her, simply because he was incapable of that emotion.

Appa was flying casually through the clouds and everyone else was sleeping, so Zuko closed his eyes again. He'd need the remaining few hours of rest until the battle with his sister. It wasn't going to be an easy fight. Not at all.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_Her friends…_

The images again shifted: a platform suspended over a lake and surrounded by tall cliffs… Boiling Rock.

_Azula was outraged and shocked by Mai's betrayal. Her former friend didn't even look at her._

" _Leave us alone,_ " _she told the guards restraining Mai. They saluted her and left._

How could she do this? I trusted her! She was my friend. Now she's nothing more than a traitor and I shall deal with her accordingly.

She had been furious, but also, disappointed, betrayed and… sad. As the flashbacks unfolded in her dream, she experienced all those miserable feelings again.

_Now Mai was looking her in the eye, defiant._

" _I never expected this from you,_ " _Azula began, only now starting to feel the deep frown on her forehead._ " _The thing I don't understand is why. Why would you do it? You know the consequences._ "

" _I guess you just don't know people as well as you think you do. You miscalculated. I love Zuko more than I fear you,_ " _Mai replied._

 _That had touched a sore spot. Azula felt a sudden and powerful rush of anger and hate flow through her, taking control of her. She had never felt like this before. She had never been so enraged. How dare she talk like that to the Crown Princess, to her_ former _friend?_ I'm perfect! I never 'miscalculate'. Never! Especially not when I expect my friends to be trustworthy!

 _One of the two people she had really trusted turned against her just like that… because of Zuko. Both he and his "girlfriend" will pay for this._ You can't count on anyone anymore! _Deep down she felt her boiling emotions beginning to burn her on the inside. They were becoming too powerful to hold back._

No! No! I'm in control! I master my own feelings! _But she was starting to feel weak. That was impossible. She was strong. The strongest. Her hate and anger continued to tear her apart and she just… gave up. She broke. Instead of just frowning, without realizing, her face was now contorted with anger._

" _No, you miscalculated! You should've feared me more!_ " _she yelled, without even thinking the words._

_All the rage took control of her brain and her mouth let out the words instead of her. Mai was going to get what she deserved. No one betrayed Princess Azula. No one. She took a fighting stance, bringing her fingers to firebend, just as the traitor was taking out a knife._

Mai was a skilled warrior, but she was no match for Azula. As she stepped forward and brought her right hand about to launch a fireball, she was suddenly hit right in the elbow, feeling a quick rush of stinging pain as her hand became numb. She turned her gaze to see Ty Lee, just as she struck her twice in the back, sending sudden pain through her entire body, blocking her chi and temporarily paralyzing her.

She stared in surprise at the rock floor she was about to hit, her jaw dropping as she gasped in agony. Her mind froze, unable to take in what had just happened.

This can't be happening! This isn't happening! _she thought in a fraction of a second. She was brought back to reality as her chin hit the stone floor. More pain. The interesting thing was that she no longer felt it. She was shocked at what Mai and Ty Lee did and became unaware of everything else. Azula couldn't describe the way she was feeling. She couldn't cope with the emotions that kept flowing brutally through her._

 _She wasn't strong enough. She felt like she was going to explode._ I… I can't get a grip. I… lost my control. I can't stand this! I'm...going... crazy! _She hated these feelings. She hated being weak. She hated them. She had lost her dominance, her balance. She had been completely broken on the inside. They had been the only people close to her. Now she had no one. She was alone. Completely alone._

How could they?! How could they?! _Somehow, she didn't know how, Azula had managed, just barely, to keep herself from breaking on the outside again. But what she felt inside was a torment. She was falling apart._

Ty Lee grabbed Mai and shook her.

" _Come on! Let's get out of here!_ " she said.

They barely took one step before they were suddenly surrounded by a dozen guards.

" _You're both fools!_ " _Azula said as two guards came to her, grabbed her arms and slowly helped her to her feet. The two traitors were looking her in the eye, just as she doing the same. They both had that despicable defiance in their gazes. Azula's features were still tensed with all her anger and rage._

" _What shall we do with them, princess?_ " one of the guards asked.

Those two had been her friends. Her only friends, she painfully admitted to herself, and they've just stabbed her in the back. Now she was in control again. She could easily order the guards to kill Mai and Ty Lee right then and there.

However, as much as she despised them now, their friendship had meant something to her. It still did as she decided to spare them, even if they didn't deserve it. Not by far. But she didn't want to have anything to do with them ever again.

" _Put them somewhere I'll never have to see their faces again! And let them rot!_ " she told the guards.


	6. Chapter 6

The sun rays coming through the window gently bathed Azula's face. Their warmth and light slowly woke her up as she opened her eyes. She felt a bit unsettled after reliving those terrible events again.

 _Just a dream_ she thought as she remembered all those tormenting memories she had dreamt of during the night. She felt pretty tired. She'd slept horribly because of her nightmares. Azula yawned as she got up from the bed, realizing her clothes were really sweaty-those events had really agitated her in spite of herself. She stretched her back and arms and walked toward the closet. She opened it and dressed up in her kimono and armor. Then, the princess got to the mirror and washed her face with the water from the bowl on the small table under the mirror.

She took a moment to look at her own face. _The Crown Princess of the Fire Nation, so beautiful, so smart and one of the best firebenders to ever live. And yet, with everything I have I'm… lonely. I've got no one._ She frowned. _And I don't need anyone. It may have been nice to have friends._ Those words hurt her a lot more than she would ever admit, even to herself. _But I don't need anyone. I'm all by myself and I've proven time and again what I can do without anyone's help._

Her features eased and the frown was gone. She wiped her face with a towel and tied her hair. After that, Azula put on her golden headpiece and her makeup. She blinked twice and looked carefully at her eyelashes, making sure the makeup was perfect and headed for the door. The princess exited her room and walked through the long, wide corridor that led to the upper deck of the Royal barge.

As she stepped on the deck, she took in the magnificent view outside. It was a cool morning, but the sun shone high overhead, surrounded by few pure white clouds. The smell of the sea was quite reinvigorating and sound of the waves hitting the hull was rhythmical and soothing. Azula stepped toward the port of the ship and admired the surroundings for a few minutes, resting her hands on the edge of the hull. Just looking at the peaceful and calming sea and sky, the princess's gaze locked on to a random spot as she wasn't focusing on anything and forgot all her thoughts. She just stood there, unblinking and unthinking, losing awareness of everything around her for a few minutes.

The sound of footsteps on the wooden deck got her attention as she blinked twice and turned to see the Imperial Firebenders and a couple of Dai Li agents stopping midway toward her and standing at attention. It was time for training. She had told them to wake up early today so she could practice some more before the battle. Not that she needed it, but it was important to keep oneself in shape. She had also woken up early today since she never expected her soldiers to do something she couldn't or wouldn't. Azula stepped away from the edge of the hull and walked toward the men. There were 12 firebenders and 2 Dai Li agents. It wouldn't be a long fight.

"Take your fighting stances," she ordered them.

They distanced themselves from her and from each other and brought their hands about, taking fighting stances. The Dai Li agents tried to flank her: one moved in front of her and the other behind her. They had nothing to earthbend here on the sea, but they still had their rock gloves and those were quite deadly in the hands of capable earthbenders.

"Do your best," Azula told the soldiers, smiling challengingly and superiorly at them.

The firebenders simultaneously launched fire balls at her and the Dai Li agents shot stone tiles from their gloves. She jumped high into the air and, as she came down, she kicked a soldier in the head, knocking him unconscious. Three soldiers closed in on her and opened up with powerful fire slashes. She blocked one with her right leg as she was spinning and dropping down to evade the other two.

As they approached her, one of them attacked with a fire dagger. She slid beneath his hand and spun around behind him. The man turned, just to be met with two quick jabs in his chest and a kick in the stomach. He wrapped his hands around his stomach as he fell on the deck. The other two soldiers closest to Azula circled around her. One of them dashed toward the princess, his right leg held outward to trip her down as the other launched a fireball at her. And he wasn't the only one: five more jets of fire were coming toward her from all directions.

She jumped again and somersaulted in midair, landing right behind the man that tried to trip her and avoided the flames from the others. She grabbed the man's right arm and dropped him to the floor with a one-arm shoulder throw. The third man launched two quick fireballs at Azula as a Dai Li agent was coming right behind her. She blocked the bending attacks with her hands and, as the firebender tried to kick her, she dashed to her left and immediately grabbed his leg, twisting it violently and throwing the soldier to the floor.

"Ahhh!" the man screamed in pain as he fell.

The Dai Li agent launched rock tiles from his gloves at her. The princess rolled away and circled to his right to close up the distance between them. She crouched and jumped as he kept shooting at her. When she was close enough, she rolled as fast as she could and kicked both his arms, just in time to not get hit by the tiles.

The strikes sent his arms pointing upward for a moment and she punched at his jaw, but he dodged and tried to punch and kick her back. Two more firebenders approached and sent powerful bursts of fire at her. She quickly generated a small fire shield to block the attacks as the Dai Li agent came at her again.

He took a few steps back and launched one of his gloves at her. Azula's kick tore the glove apart as more stone tiles and fire balls came at her. She rolled backwards and kicked upward, hitting a soldier in the jaw. The princess got up and blocked the other soldier's punch by grabbing his wrist. The man punched with the other hand and she stopped his fist with her palm. She kicked him three times with her left knee and let go of him. Then, she punched him twice in the chest, making sure he was out of the fight for good.

Both Dai Li agents closed up on Azula again, sending a shower of deadly tiles at her. She focused on her chi, feeling it flow through her and maintaining regular breathing as she spun 360 degrees, moving her arms to guide the energy through them and outside her body.

As she did so, she generated flashes of lightning that cracked all the tiles. She launched two fireballs, one at each agent. They both jumped, avoiding the attacks and launched more tiles at her. She ducked and, right as one of them landed, she shot a burst of fire at him. He dodged, but the attack was right on time to throw him off balance, giving Azula time to close up on him and punch him in the face. She broke his nose and it started bleeding. Before he could strike back she punched him again in the face and kicked him once in the stomach. That brought him down on the ground and the princess hit him two more times to make sure he won't get up any time soon. Azula crouched down right before the other agent's glove hit her. She sent a precise fire burst to his chest, but he rolled away and continued shooting at her.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

As the remaining Dai Li agent was trying to pin down the princess, Lee and two others closed up on her, trying to surround her. Apparently she saw them coming and positioned herself so that she was right between the agent and one of Lee's fellow soldiers. As the tiles kept coming toward the princess, she dodged to the side and the firebender behind her realized what she'd done. He tried to get out of the way, but half a dozen tiles hit him square in the chest, some even tearing through his armor.

"Owww!" he yelled as he dropped to the deck, hard. A slashing flame from the princess took out the other firebender, leaving Lee Goh and the Dai Li agent the only ones close to her. As he launched fireballs at her and the agent kept shooting tiles, commander Hei and the last two firebenders ran toward her, launching fireballs and bursts as well. She's surrounded, Lee thought. She can't possibly win. As soon as the thought came to him, he realized he was wrong. She sent two fire daggers at the Dai Li agent while also blocking Lee's first strike with one leg and ducking away from the others. The agent dodged, but before we could take another step, a massive burst of blue fire sent him flying in the air. He landed half a dozen meters away, screaming in pain. There was a loud bump sound as his back hit the floor. Lee, Hei and the other two continued shooting fire at her. But she was too powerful and she was extremely agile and athletic. She blocked or avoided everything they threw at her. The sergeant managed to get behind her while the others kept her distracted and shot two bursts of fire at her. Lee was sure he was going to get her this time. It was dangerous to attack like this, but she'd told them to do their best and not to worry, because they wouldn't be able to hurt her, regardless of how hard they tried to defeat her. And, to the young man's surprise and outer shock, she had been right. She jumped, somersaulting in the air and dropping down right in front of Lee.

"Well done sergeant. You've almost got me," she said as she avoided his punches. "But almost isn't good enough."

Right before Lee could strike again, he felt his legs swept from under him and he fell down. He was about to get up, but the next thing he saw was a flash of brilliant blue as a powerful flame burned through his armor and sent him flying a few meters away. He landed on his arm, almost breaking his bones as he felt searing pain through his entire body. He let out a few sounds of agony as he turned to see the Fire Lord's daughter facing commander Hei and his two lieutenants. They were some of the best firebenders in the entire army. And the princess made short work of them. Within five seconds, all of them were sprawled on the deck at her feet.

Fourteen men, twelve part of the best unit of firebenders in the army and two Dai Li agents which, as much as Lee hated to admit, were very skilled warriors. And she took down all of them by herself. The thing was she hadn't even done her best since this was just training and no one was supposed to be killed. But she had told them to try to kill her and they did, losing in the shortest possible amount of time.

Azula looked triumphantly and dominantly at the men lying on the deck all around her. An unpleasant thought came to her mind: Mai and Ty Lee were a lot better than these stupid peasants. Her victorious look turned into a frown at the thought. _No! Get out of my head, traitors! Now!_

She managed to concentrate again on the there and then, on what was around her. The soldiers were starting to get up from the deck, visibly struggling.

"Anyone who's too wounded to fight will go to the infirmary. The rest of you: two minutes break and then we'll continue," Azula said.


End file.
